Leaders Born or Made

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Do you believe the greatest leaders are born, not made? I believe the greatest leaders can be born or made, but the majority of leaders are made. One can be born with empathy, intelligence, and ambition which are all important traits in a leader, but lack an environment to develop these skills. Environment and experience are two reasons that support leaders being made and not born. Individuals need to be in an environment that encourages the traits they are born with to grow and develop. Experience teaches knowledge, which is a characteristic of a great leader. A combination of the above factors and other qualities contribute to a leader. Many people have the potential to become a great leader, but leadership takes time to develop. The environment is a significant leadership factor. Many people may be born with the potential to be good leaders, but will never grow up in an environment that enables them to realize their potential. These individuals who have had a hard time adjusting in life can be referred to as ‘twice born’ (Zaleznik 2004). Their lives are a continual struggle to obtain a sense of order and their personal development impels them to struggle for social change. These individuals are not born leaders, but their leadership success is attributed to learning. The environment within an organization can also cultivate great leaders. A survey by the Society for Human Resource Management reports 57% of organizations use external leadership training programs and 51% use internal leadership training programs. The survey also noted 48% use assignments to help employees develop new skills and competencies. This shows companies invest into their employees when they see leadership potential. Lastly, people are also a part of your environment that can influence decisions and behavior. Great leaders hang out with other leaders and should put themselves in

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